Caffein-free coffee.



.' UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nonnn'r nfimmn, or mew roan, N. Y.,'ass1e1von 'ro rnrrz sonwrzan, or

NEW YORK, N.- Y.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HI'iBNER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Caifein-Free Coffee, of which the followin is a specification.

y invention consists in a process of extracting cafi'ein from coffee, and the object of my invention is to remove from coffee that substance, cafiein, which renders it deleterious to health.

To carry my invention into effect, raw

- coffee beans are distributed over the surface sorbed all the water which they will take tion of ripeness an up. The time of immersion will therefore vary between twelve and twenty-four hours, depending u on the quality, condi- 3 age of the bean. If the beans are old or duty, or mixed with other substances, it may be necessary to change the water a number of times. After the beans have swollen to double their size and the water or waters used in the preliminary treatment above described removed, they are again immersed in water under the same conditions and at the same temperature, and allowed to remain immersed until partial germination has been accomlished,or in other words, until, by chemlcal tests, the presence of maltose can be detected. I

It is important, in carrying out the process, to keep the eans covered by water havin the temperature stated, as otherwise the al%uminous or starchy bodies will be too much converted, and thus cause too rapid germination and consequent sprouting, which would split up or otherwise destroy the aromatic properties of the beans. As soon as the presence of maltose is detected, which indicates that partial germination has been accomplished, and the reliminary waters withdrawn, steps shoul be taken to stop ermination. This may be accomplished y washing the beans with water having a temperature of from fifty to sixty Specification of Letters Patent.

vApplication: filed July 2, 1808. Serial 801441310.

WEEK-FREE COFFEE.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

degrees centigrade, until the gum-like coatmg of the beans (cafi'etannic acid and most of the remaining cafi'ein is washe away.

Any suitable apparatus may be used for washing the beans. After thebeans are washed by the hotwater and germination stopped, they are dried, which should be effected at a temperature of from 25 to 40 degrees centigrade, and this may be best accomplished by distributing the beans in thin layers on ans and passing a current of hot air over t em. Drying in sunlight is to be avoided as it tends to oxidize and discolor the beans.

From the water solution obtained by the treatment above escribed, cafietannic acid, caffeic acid, organic coloring matter, salts, etc. are precipitated. This may be accomplished by any well known means, as for instance, by the addition of any basic material such as sodium, potassium or calcium. The watery extract, from which the precipitated matters have been removed, is then concentrated and the ca-tfein separated therefrom by the employment of chloroform or other readily volatilizable substance, and subsequently the chloroform or other volatilizablc substance removed by subjecting it to the action of a jet of steam. The removed precipitated matters, z. 6., the cafl'etannic acid, caffeic acid, organic coloring matter, salts, etc., may be again made into a solution with water, and i desired, reembodied in the coffee beans by that the elementary principle involved in my process, consists in primarily tfecting a limited germination of the coffee bean, which acts to break down the normal union of the combined materials in the bean, so that they may be extracted by water at the required temperature, and subsequently separated as described. I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact steps of the process herein set forth, provided that the preliminary step involved brings about a limited germination of the bean by the water in which it is immersed or otherwise. The subsequent chemical treatment of the solu tions may be any that may be required to separate the different materials. Further, I wish it understood that instead of reincorporating with the bean the material precipitated from the solution, with the exception any suitable process, after which the beans of cafl'cin, such material may be concentrated and pressed into tablets, and such tablets employed after the addition of hot water, as a food product.

The product of my process has as its characteristic, coffee beans of which the enveloping shell has been distended and partially broken by germination within the bean, and

from which bean the major portion of the normally contained caffein has been EX- tracted by direct and osmotic action.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

1. The herein described process of removingcafl'ein from the coifee bean, which consists in first effecting a limited germination within the bean and then subjecting it to the extractive action of water of the required temperature.

2. The herein described process of removing catfein from the coffee bean, which consists in first subjecting the coffee bean to the action of water at a temperature of 15 degrces centigrade, until limited germination has taken place, then to the action of Washing waters at a higher temperature until the major portion of the caflein has been removed. 7

3. The herein described process of remov ing caifein from the coffee bean, which consists in subjecting the coffee bean, when distributed in a thin layer, to the action of water at a temperature of 15 degrees centigrade until limited germination has taken place, and then to thcaction of water at a higher temperature to remove the major portion of the caffcin.

l. The herein described process of removing caffein from the coffee bean, which con-v sists in loosening the cellular structure of the bean and producing distention of the bean by bringing about partial germination of the bean and then subjecting to the action of water at a temperature sufficient to effect removal of the soluble bodies of the bean.

5. The herein described process of removing catfein from the coffee bean, which consists in first effecting a limited germination of the beans and then subjecting the partially germinated beans to osmotic action by immersing in water of proper temperature, until the soluble contents of the beans have been extracted.

6. The herein described process of removing catfein from coffee beans, which consists in first effecting a limited germination of the beans, then subjecting the beans to the extractive action of water of the required temperature, then precipitating the catfelc acid, cafletannic acid, salts, etc.,'from the a watery solution, then extracting from the remaining watery solution the 'cafiein, with ing caffein from coffee beans, which consists in primarily effecting a limited germination of the bean, and secondarily 'subjectin the bean to the action of a body which wi 1 reiaovethe soluble constituents of the treated can; v

9. The herein described process ofremoving caffein from coffee beans, which consists in primarily effecting a limited germination of the beans until the presence of maltose can be detected, and secondarily subjecting the beans to the action of a body which will stop germination and remove the soluble constituents of the treated bean.

'10. As a new article of manufacture, green coffee beans having their cellular structurealtered by limited germination, and from which the major port-ion of the normally containedcaffein has been removed.

11. As a new article of manufacture, green structure broken down by the act of limited germination, and from which the major portion of the originally contained caifein has been removed.

12. As a new article of manufacture, green coffee beans having their cellular structure partially converted into maltose, and from which the major portion of the normally contained cafl'ein has been removed.

coffee beans having their interior cellular In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature,

in the presence of two. witnesses.

ROBERT HI'JBNER.

Witnesses:

HENRY Gr. GIFFORI), J r., ELIZABETH BARNETT. 

